Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Staviski Dark Pink’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Staviski Dark Pink’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; and decorative-type inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘STAVISKI DARK PINK’.

CROSS REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Chrysanthemum Plant Named ‘Staviski Orange’

Applicant: Dirk Pieters

Filed: U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/653,754.

Title: Chrysanthemum Plant Named ‘Staviski White’

Applicant: Dirk Pieters

Filed: U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/653,766.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Staviski Dark Pink’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Staviski Pink’, not patented. The newChrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Staviski Pink’ ina controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium inSeptember, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetativecuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment inOostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2008. Asexual reproduction bycuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemumplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Staviski Dark Pink’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Staviski Dark Pink’ as a newand distinct Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.    -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences with red purple-colored ray        florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from the parent,‘Staviski Pink’, in ray floret color as plants of ‘Staviski Pink’ havelight pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Staviski Orange’, disclosed in a U.S. Plantpatent application filed concurrently, and Chrysanthemum×morifolium‘Staviski White’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application filedconcurrently. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily fromplants of ‘Staviski Orange’ and ‘Staviski White’ in ray floret color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Movado Purple’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium, plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Movado Purple’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had lighter green-colored        leaves than plants of ‘Movado Purple’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences        than plants of ‘Movado Purple’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum plant. This photograph shows the colors as true as itis reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Chrysanthemum plant. The photograph comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Staviski Dark Pink’grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers in an outdoornursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium during the summer and autumn underconditions and practices which approximate those generally used incommercial production. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 25° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 15° C. to 20° C. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph anddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Staviski Dark    Pink’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of    Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Staviski Pink’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days            at temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days            at temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum; compact            plant habit with stems upright and outwardly spreading            giving a uniformly rounded appearance to the plant; very            freely branching habit, about 25 primary lateral branches            develop, each primary lateral branch with multiple secondary            branches; pinching enhances lateral branch development;            dense and full plant habit; strong and moderately vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 60 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm            to 3 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to            144A.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 2 cm            to 3.5 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm to 2 cm. Apex: Rounded to            cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and            senate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to parallel.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent.            Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation,            close to 148C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 147B; venation, close to 147B to 147C. Petiole: Length:            About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Slightly pubescent and rough. Color, upper            surface: Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form;            inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage; disc and            ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pungent.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower late September in Belgium.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about 35 days in an outdoor nursery;            inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 20 inflorescences develop            per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Globular. Color: Between 144A and 137C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3 cm. Depth (height):            About 1.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 7 mm. Receptacle            diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 2.5 mm to            3 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 144B.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 0.5 cm to 1 cm. Width: About            3 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 125 to 150 arranged in about five to            six whorls. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 72B. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close            to N74C; color becoming closer to 75C with development.        -   Disc florets.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to            1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated; apices acute. Number of            disc florets per inflorescence: About 100 to 150. Color:            Apex: Close to 144C. Mid-section: Close to 5B. Base: Close            to 145D.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 25            arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm.            Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded.            Base: Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:            Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to N137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4 cm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 6 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About            8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.            Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:            Not observed.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have    demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate    temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C.

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Staviski Dark Pink’ as illustrated and described. 